Private Beasts of Nature

[Darth Tennacus]

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Current Location: Lothal
Mentions: Darth Senthral


Over a month had passed since the Sith had set out on their expedition on board the Wandering Pilgrim. They had long intended to make the trip, plotting their courses with caution and discretion, and ensuring they maintained as much throughout their journey. Thankfully, their very first stop was not too out of the way from their starting point: the planet of Lothal located within the Outer Rim territories. Tennacus made sure getting there was no simple trip, jumping from one system to the next, ensuring at the end of every jump that they were not being tracked or followed. And after what had seemed like a tedious approach, the Sith descended the Pilgrim into Lothal's atmosphere, landing on a desolate corner of the world where traffic and activity was virtually non-existent. Once they had arrived, they unloaded their belongings and ventured out along the plains, tracking the likes of Lothal Wolves to which Darth Senthral had expressed certain interest. Tennacus did not argue with his fascination, but he knew the interest was related to the species' entanglement with the Force, which would perhaps serve them well in later experiments.

The Sith were currently tracking a small pack of the wolves, keeping a cautious distance away from them, making sure not to bring about their discovery. The situation was sensitive, and they had been tracking this particular group for weeks, given the scarcity in their numbers. Tennacus knew the odds of finding them might have been few and far between, so the Sith veiled as much of their association with the Force as possible in order to maintain their discretion, lest the sentient beasts become aware of their association to the Dark Side and disappear once again.

It had been a while since Tennacus was armed with such a stockpile of weaponry, but each piece of equipment was necessary. The Sith Lord was armed with an electrified net gun, a Sith Sniper Rifle with a stun modification, and Tennacus' personal modified Zersium Rifle, adjusted with a longer-ranged targeting thermal scope which he carried primarily in two hands at all times. The two Sith were currently sat between a band of ascending narrow domes along the icy plains, having set up a makeshift camp to stop for a break. They'd not stopped for the past two days, walking endlessly across the ice, until finally they had covered enough ground to come to a halt. They believed one of the Loth-Wolf dens were nearby, perhaps embedded within one of the icy hills. At that moment, they were just waiting to see any unfortunate wolf prowling about the ice, unbeknownst to the Sith presence. They were not a common enemy; targeting them came with certain tactician.

"77-B, how far are we from the Pilgrim?"

"Two hundred and seven kilometres, Master," the droid answered over the commlink.

"Alright. Do not bring the ship into the air until we've confirmed the capture of the prey. The last thing we want to do is spook them."

"Very good, sir. Might I suggest you make sufficient shelter? There are readings of an incoming storm from the North."

"Noted. Any readings from the deployed Probe Droid?"

"Negative, sir. If I receive any alerts, I will inform yourself and Lord Senthral at once. I recommend discontinuing communications until the morning unless absolutely necessary. The range between our signals may potentially allow another signal source to pick up on our communications."

"I see. Standby until we break radio silence."

The commlink went silent.

Tennacus looked towards the North, watching the clouds slowly tumble across the skies. "We may have temporary blindness in the storm, Lord Senthral. Maintain a subtle connection with the Force so we can keep a scope on any Force-sensitive life forms. How many of these beasts are you looking to capture?"

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

With the advisory from his Master he felt the Dark Side in him once again. Though in no mass amount at all, only ever so slightly. As he was told to of course.

“I had planned for just one, unless you think it wiser to take more?” He asked, curiosity arising at any sort of suggestion Darth Tennacus might have on the matter. “Whichever is strongest in the Light Side of the Force. Otherwise it would not be worth submitting it to the dark. I heard tell of Inquisitors turning Light Siders over with torture in the far off past. Those aren’t exactly my plans, but they are concrete evidence that this may be possible.” They were after-all. If a human trained in the Light Side for years could be swayed by torture. Than a being born trusting in the Light could be swayed by the dominance of the Dark Side. Maybe. He had an inkling of a feeling it’d be no easy task bringing the wolf over.

Call him Johnny on the Spot, but he could not think of a time something easy had been all too fruitful. They had been on Lothal long enough to consider it a hard fought quest, and yet still, the hardest part was near to come. That’s what his gut told him anyway. In his experience. All of them. You put your trust in your gut to a degree, and you’d thank yourself for it. Darth Senthral surely had several times over, to pick a fight you couldn’t win was unwise, but if you listened well to your gut. You could make it out alive, if in pieces. Alive is better then not, wouldn’t anyone agree with that?

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[Darth Tennacus]

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Tennacus thought about it for a moment as he adjusted the Zersium rifle against his chest. “I’d recommend you collect three of them, to be safe. Two might fail to give you a result; the last might have hidden potential you knew nothing about.” It had been the case in the past, especially for Tennacus. Several individual specimens that amounted to nothing, and then that one you’d least expect to be of value emerges in the Force. The Muun specimen he’d been growing had similar circumstances. A female Muun with vague entanglement with the Force. But then the Midichlorians called out with promise of developing a Force-sensitive offspring, and Tennacus destroyed those others had captured. When it came down to it, it was better to think outside the box of general methods. The Force was never always the same in any two beings. Weak ties could often blossom unlike nothing one would come to expect. Under the right circumstances, the Force called out, either in desperation or hope.

Tennacus put his weapon down and stood up, going through the large sack to retrieve the camping equipment. Large white fabric was thrown over their heads, suspended above them by metallic rods and hooks which served to help them blend into their surroundings. From a brief observation, it would have blended into the climate. One would have to get extremely close to notice it was not a natural phenomena, but by then it would have been too late.

“Set up some sensors fifty feet out,” Tennacus ordered his Apprentice. If anything comes near, we will be told about it. It’s unlikely the probes can make contact with 77-B whilst we are suffering through the storm.”

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

“Yes Master. Three it is. You make a good point. I will get setting up the sensors.” With that he scrabbled out of their tent and found himself that exact fifty feet away. How’d he know? Well a few beeps from his back told him so. JO-1. His own creation so his own name, but it was clearly modeled after the ID Unit Seeker Droid. Which in turn was modeled after some exploration droid. How nice that things came full circle. Not much was different with his own JO-1 from an ID Unit. Darth Senthral was always handy with a ship, but wasn’t an expert with droids. That’s why he went so simple with his own. Adhering to what was set by the Unit that came before it. Made it easier to make the thing from mostly scratch. Few specific droid parts helped of course.

A few more beeps and the like sounded from his back, a whistle or two. Binary or Droidspeak as they called it, he felt he could have worked in Galactic Standard. However, the Binary would come with it’s uses, considering he understood it helped a lot. Plus it wasn’t as if he had to beep and whistle back, the thing understood Galactic Standard just didn’t speak it.

“Alright sensors up. Jojo you remember the deal. You’re a Multi Usage Droid. We need to get you stealth capabilities, teach you how to splice, and here’s something I can teach you here and now. When someone is in back of me that isn’t Darth Tennacus say so, but also pretend you never saw them. If the enemy doesn’t understand Binary than I can be the one surprising them.”

A simple whistle sounded back at him, quiet enough to show that JO-1 was capable of whispering. Droids whispering. What a Galaxy. With that he found himself back in the tent by his Master. A quick nod was enough to say the sensors were up, if Tennacus might have believed he would come back for any other reason.

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[Darth Tennacus]

​

Tennacus tampered with his weapon, cleaning and altering its condition until Darth Senthral returned. The use of a lightsaber was reduced to use only as a last resort, specifically at Tennacus' orders. Scavengers wandered far to seek their wealth, and the likes of crimson blades swinging around in the blankness of snow would have undoubtedly alerted any being familiar with the likes of Force users of their presence. Their weapons needed to be sharp, and their minds sharper. Once Lord Senthral had returned, Tennacus put his weapon down beside him and threw a thermal, white cowl over his body. As much as the tent would prevent the majority of sheer temperatures from entering, it still promised to burden them if they were not cautious. If the tent collapsed, they could freeze before they even realised it.

Six hours later

". . . S. . . Sirs. . . Sirs! Do you read me?"

Tennacus shot up out of sleep in sudden shock. His grip turned to his lightsaber immediately, but he didn't conjure the blade. He reached for his Zersium weapon, tuning into the commlink feeding through both his and Lord Senthral's audio pieces.

"Yes, I read you, 77. What are you relaying?"

The signal was poor on account of the storm. It was still dark out, so it must have been somewhere in the midst of the night. The winds howled viciously outside the tent.

"L. . Senth. . . droid. . . outsi. . . perim."

"77?" Tennacus said back. "Our signal is not stable. Can you repeat?"

"Jo. . . jo sensor. . . trigg. . ."

Communications went silent. "77? 77-B?"

Nothing.

"Lord Senthral," Tennacus nudged him with his foot. The tent was small. "I think your droid has picked up on something. Try and get a reading to see if any of the sensors were tripped. They must be straining to reach us through the storm."

 

[Darth Senthral]

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Quickly Senthral came up, he had half woken up when 77-B had come through on the coms. He half expected something like this to happen, with a whistle JO-1 was in his hands. “Jojo one of the sensors went off, if you can’t pick up on it’s frequency can you at least tell me the direction of it?” Senthral could of course tinker with the droid himself to pick up on a reading, but if Jojo could just tell him that’d be easier. With his luck a soft whistle sounded and alarmed beeps.

He went to work quickly tinkering with the droid to increase it’s radius, work through the storm. The kind of thing he had learned to do halfway, whilst putting JO-1 together. “Master. Our luck might be turning up. Three life forms picked up on one of the sensors. I can lead us to which one, I already know the direction. The closer we get the more it’ll pick up.” He was looking at some dinky gadget, a sensor reader that was now hooked up to JO-1. That increased it’s range, but took a lot out of the droid. Who had clamped onto Senthral’s back, incapable of flying now. Not that it mattered in this storm.

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[Darth Tennacus]

​

Tennacus contemplated for a moment in silence. Atmospheric readings had indicated that the temperatures had already plummeted well beyond zero, with no promise of elevation in the next few hours. The ferocity of the winds would be merciless; the sheer temperatures just as unforgiving. If he could still maintain a signal with 77-B, the droid would have likely said something clever about the contemplation. Nothing that would suggest they go out in it, in any case.

Tennacus started to tighten his jacket.

"Three readings, right? Might be the only time we ever catch them in that abundance; they might very well be suffering. Possibly lost, caught out in the storm. They haven't been keeping in their numbers very often." Tennacus kept talking as he was getting ready. "Last time they were together was when one of their own was under threat. I think they regroup under desperate circumstances."

By the time Tennacus had finished, he was up and geared by the front door. Equipped with his Zersium rifle, a pair of thermal goggles and half a dozen grenades around his belt, the Sith Sniper rifle hung over one shoulder and the electric net gun over the other. "If you know the way, I suggest we make haste, my Apprentice."

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

As his Master spoke he was already preparing himself for the journey there. So when haste was a suggestion, haste was also the answer. Up came Senthral, now facing Lord Tennacus in front of their tent. He was as geared up as they got, ready for action. Action couldn't be met standing still in this storm though. "We've got wolves to catch, and the chance to catch them." A simple set of words, maybe in hindsight they didn't mean much.

To Darth Senthral himself? They meant a bit. Luck had no real meaning to him. There was chance in this galaxy, but whether you snatched it or not was what dictated the outcome. Not 'Luck', never such a thing. That chance was theirs to take, and failure was time wasted. Oh so precious time. They would not live forever... Yet.

A trek through the snowstorm and eyes wide open led them upon a sensor. The Loth Wolves were near. Perhaps a mother and two cubs? Maybe that would serve just as well as any other. If a cub were just beginning to understand the Force. It could be raised in the Dark Side. In a way he was envious of that. So in another way he a tinge disappointed when his guess was right. The mother and two cubs seemed lost out in the storm not far off from Tennacus and himself. They were not yet alerted to the presence of two curious Sith. On a mission that put their lives at stake.

"Any plan of action in particular you've got Master Tennacus?" He would not always have Darth Tennacus to help him, but while he did, he would use the advantage well.

 

[Darth Tennacus]

​

The merciless winds did its best to deliver them an environmental challenge they had not endured as severely on the planet until then. Trekking through the treacherous depths of snow was undoubtedly accomplished with further effort. The temptation to reach out to the Force and conceal them within a bubble certainly lingered on the Sith Lord's thoughts; but in doing so, they risked alerting the enemy. So the two Sith suffered, but Tennacus turned it into a learning point. The winds were too loud to speak naturally, so they had to rely on their commlinks to produce sentences to one another. Here and there, Tennacus had ordered his Apprentice to remain absent of his powers, forcing him to rely on his physical aspects as a warrior over a Force wielder. Not every situation would allow them to use their Dark Side nature as they wanted. Now was the perfect example.


But Darth Senthral would be better for it. Forcing the Apprentice to rely on alternative means would allow him to bury his association to the Force so deep that he would be expand his ability to conceal it, even amongst Masters of the Jedi Order. Stalk the prey, like they did right now, and walk in their shadow without them ever knowing. Then, when the time was right, they could set loose their abilities so suddenly, and the enemy would be caught off guard without ever arousing suspicion.

It took them a while to find the perfect spot, but when they did they were practically on top of their prey. Prone amongst a hill, fifty feet at most separated them from the targets. A mother was prowling with her two cubs, but she had no choice but to revert to curling into a ball, while her offspring huddled themselves against the warmth of her belly. Tennacus had switched out for his Electrified Net Gun, scanning the targets through a thermal scope. Their legs would not give them success if they missed their chance; Tennacus had to contemplate their actions. The wolves, even cubs, could use their four limbs to swiftly escape across the deep snow if they were suddenly alerted of the stalking Sith.

"The cub," Tennacus started, "farthest from its mother's belly. Stun it, and the mother will jump up in caution. I'll deal with the other. If the mother has any compassion for her offspring, she will fight for them. We hit the mother first and she will only flee along with her children." Tennacus arranged the weapon for fire, his finger grazing over the trigger. "When you are ready, Lord Senthral."

 

[Darth Senthral]

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Darth Senthral was still surprised they made it into a well off position in this damned storm. When he was ready, like nothing his trusty 22 slid from it's holster. Soon enough his eyes were on the prize. His Master was right, the cubs were the mother's weakness, whether she liked it or not. Her loss was the Sith's very own gain.

His blaster was now set to stun, and with a large breath he focused his aim. Iron sights were never inaccurate. Not these one's at least, and though he himself could be off sometimes, here and now he wasn't. A stun traveled through the hair faster than the cub could even yelp, and yet still the tot managed one. Strong little guy, and even so he was now out like a light. Tennacus' turn.

 

[Darth Tennacus]

​

Tennacus loosened the next almost instantaneously. In those sorts of environments, there was little time to waste. It would take only a second for the winds to chase course, and thus deliver an obscuring breathe of the blizzard between their line of sight. The next launched swiftly through the air, ensnaring the other cub within its electrified embrace. The beast announced his terror almost immediately; the mother was quickly on her feet. She quickly pounced up and attempted to release her captive cub, but was immediately zapped by the electric currents flowing through the nets. Her snout shoved against the other, but it had been immobilised by the Sith's stun.

Her eyes quickly scanned for a source.

It didn't take her very long to sound a howl of vengeance towards the Sith. She must have been a wise specimen with a strong entanglement to the Force to have been able to pick up on them as quickly as they did; Tennacus made sure that the two were camouflaged with attire to blend in with their surroundings before they departed from the tent. She didn't hesitate in coming towards them, lips curled with a menacing baring of teeth as she swiftly skipped across the snow, moving sporadically to find a weakness in the Sith's defenses.

But Tennacus wasn't here to play games.

"Finish her," he ordered over the commlink.

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

A vision came to him though, through his Master's orders. He charged forth, and tried to subdue the Mother with the Dark Side. In the vision his Darkness could not put her own Light to a full stop. Another flashed immediately after, a straight saber charge ended with a bloody neck. Choking on his own blood was no way to go. He stood up quickly amid the snow storm, shot the mother with a stun, it served only to slow her a bit.

That was all he needed, he knew she'd go right for the neck, and it was his or hers. They were grounded now, a tackle knocked his blaster into the snow to the side, and himself to the ground. The wolf had him pinned, and he brought up his left arm to cover his neck, a sacrifice he was willing to make. The other arm came up in a flash. Yet a flash could never have been fast enough, already fangs sunk into his left arm.

The ignition of a 'saber silenced growls, but did not take away the pain. Nor did it pry the fangs from his limp now limp left arm. He cut the wolf's head off hurriedly, and with the reholstering of his 'saber crawled out from under the now dead wolf. He sat her head upright and pried open her jaws, freeing his left arm. Internal screams did the pain justice, far worse then any lightsaber scars.

Eyes looked at his arm closely, the armor had served to forestall the fangs from crushing him like a twig. His arm would still see battles to come, but maybe not immediately. Not that he imagined he'd have a choice. The enemy cared about his arm about as much as the dead wolf beside him. He grabbed the wolf's oversized head and yanked out a big fang. A souvenier from the kill. He slowly walked with the head over to the netted cub. it hit the snow with a soft thump, no blood coming from it's severed neck, and yet the head was soaked in the blood of his own arm.

"Pray you don't meet the same fate. Try your best not to, now that I'm down to two."

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[Darth Tennacus]

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Tennacus did not intervene any further with the assault. As it then stood, this was now a battle between man and beast - of which he would take no part. His weapon lowered, not in defeat, but in certification that he was withdrawing his efforts from the rest of the task. For him, this was a moment to observe his Apprentice in action, and see just how much his training had earned him in the ways of survival. Out there, amidst the endless storm, against a beast fuelled by instinct and survival, the favours towards Darth Senthral would be limited. He had only himself, and all what Darth Tennacus had taught him.

The Sith Lord switched his posture around to sit on his hind, his knees bent halfway towards his chest. He lowered his weapon, folding his arms before himself, and watched his Apprentice deal with the situation single-handedly. The Dark Side altered itself drastically. Snowflakes froze faster than they were falling. Tennacus's gloves were growing stiff with each flake that clung to them, and he could feel the snow crusting like concrete. Is this really him? Tennacus thought to himself. Is this an expression of his commitment to the Dark Side? A statement that opposing life, much like his brother's, holds no value of wellbeing? His emotions are heartless, stone-cold in the absence of compassion. He is growing stronger each day.


Suddenly, the winds were calming. The Dark Side did not weaken, but merely withdrew. Tennacus looked up at the clouds. Still, they hung heavy over their heads, enriched with the promise of snow. Only now, it fell not like a storm, but more like a heavy fall in the absence of those merciless winds. The fact that Tennacus could see them at all was a sign the storm quelled. He looked back over at his Apprentice, and he wondered.

Did he cause that storm?

". . . Lord Tennacus . . . Lord Senthral. . ."

Tennacus placed his finger against the earpiece. "77-B"

A noise chirped positively back towards them.

"Finally. I had feared the worst."

"Insulting," Tennacus remarked bluntly.

"Justified," the Droid argued. "I have been trying to contact you both for quite some time. The connection with Lord Senthral's droid rendered obsolete. I couldn't expand the width without risk of exposure to both our locations. . . Were your efforts successful?"

Tennacus stared over at his Apprentice. "You could say that."

The droid's voice crackled over the weak connection. "Then with your permission, I will bring the Pilgrim over the skies to your location for immediate pickup. Climate conditions calculate its return in another two hours."

"Be here in an hour. We have much more work to do."

The commlink went dead.

Tennacus retrieved his weapons, strapping the Zersium rifle for primary preference before he walked across the snow towards his Apprentice. His eyes moved down towards the two cubs. "Young minds are fresh minds," Tennacus stated. "Get them ready for extraction and stay put. I'm going to retrieve the camp materials."

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

If ever before he had felt both cold and searing at once. It was now. None of the ill will was aimed at Darth Tennacus of course, and his words were clear. A piece of advice he'd take well. They were young and both fresh minds alike, and he would do ever so well not to waste them. With caution he disabled the electricity that threatened the net. No use searing the other cub trying to get him in, and that's just what he didn't do.

Once the cubs were together in the net he put it back to a tight close, they were not all that small truly. A tight fit, though the discomfort would serve them well. One was white and one black, and yet it would not surprise him if the white were the successor of darkness. Both had those yellow wolf eyes that promised viciousness in years to come. Now both awake they stared at him in silence, even with their mother's head so close.

"Perhaps one day you will understand what happened here. Though you may then hate me for it, you will also realize it was all the better for you. Without that hate you will be weak as your mother. Even Sith have those they want to protect, if in an odd and unexpressed way. Maybe you're just animals to most, but one day you may be Sith, and even then you will be seen as beasts. Let that fuel your anger. For you will remember these words, and you will heed them or you will die."

On Senthral stared at the cubs, his own eyes full of stoicism, and yet mind spinning with pain. They would grow to understand what it was to balance the two if he had his way. Away the Sith turned, to stare at the back of his departing Master. He too was under another, he recalled this with no spite. It was simple fact, for now it served him best.

Howls sounded behind him, pitiful really, the howls of cubs mourning their mother. Sadness, at not understanding what was truly just unfolded, and furthermore at what would come next. Without the guiding light that was a mother's embrace. Sorrow would become much more. Yet never would they howl in defiance of the dark shadow looming over them. Taken by fear.

 

[Darth Tennacus]

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The Wandering Pilgrim soon beneath the clouds, making its descent onto the snow-filled plains. Tennacus stood waiting alongside his Apprentice, the two cubs sounding their distress behind them in both fear and mourning. The Pilgrim made a smooth landing, asserting itself amongst the snow for the ramp to unfold. 77-B presented itself at the doorway, hovering with the help of its repulsorlift. Once the Sith were on board, it was 77-B who retrieved the cubs, injecting them with a sleeping agent before taking them on board. The two would be kept in the cargo bay, contained behind durasteel bars where they would remain until they made their way back to Seculus-B. Tennacus was about to close the cargo bay door, but he paused to turn back at the remains of the Loth-Wolf. A grim sight, but all-round suspicious. Darth Senthral had enacted quite a brutalist approach to its death, but Tennacus was not displeased. He had revealed another side to himself, and in turn, made himself stronger. He was already speaking in a different manner towards his beliefs.

Tennacus turned his Zersium Rifle and shot a blast against the fur, using the Force to make the burst morph into a flame that would turn the beast’s remains to ashes. Leave no evidence.

Once the ship was in upper-atmospheric orbit, Tennacus had 77-B set a chart for the Deep Core. Their destination was not properly specified, but their first jump was towards the Tython, avoiding the abyss Run. Once the ship was successfully propelled into hyperspace, Tennacus turned his attention to his Apprentice.

“You did well to let your feelings guide you, Lord Senthral. Now you can understand further how your emotions allow you to see the reality of a situation, rather than blind you as the Jedi Order perceives. Tell me: how do you feel?”

 

[Darth Senthral]

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Racing with hatred and ecstasy

Victory by growing desire​

A blank stare at his own hands was his only immediate answer to his Master's queries. As if for the first time seeing truly how far he had come, and who he had become. There was no regret, no wistful look developing, nor any disappointment in any measurement at all. This was as things were willed to be. Ever on would things turn, and as so he would follow forward on the path set for him. In great part the path he had set for himself. There were now no beginnings nor ends, and he perceived time passing like a an endlessly rolling wheel.

"A Jedi would call it enlightenment. I've learned something greater today my Master. Our destinies are willed by the Dark Side, and yet we have such reign over them. When we fight to survive, we survive. This isn't to be dominated by a cloud of emotion, but to be the true head of one's own path. I feel pity for those two beasts I've taken much from, and yet no regret. I feel the splendor of understanding the Dark Side one step closer now."

It was true entirely, true to Darth Senthral if not to all. The Maw saw what they saw, and yet all were individuals, probably with differing ideals and dreams. That made Solipsis a Bonfire to gather around. Some maybe envied all that power, and wanted to be that Bonfire themselves. Some saw it as a place to get their own fires started. Others? Maybe they just sought the warm and yet cold embrace the Bonfire of Darkness would give. The common goal was never nullified by this all. That's probably what made the Maw so strong.

There were things he still had to understand, and yet his knowledge had taken leaps, bounds, and also strides it seemed. Freedom was a fleeting moment at times, and a state of mind at others.

 

[Darth Tennacus]

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Darth Senthral was developing quickly - much more than his Lord anticipated. His Master had listened to him thoroughly - relaying each word back to himself in thought. Not just what he said, but how he said it. It was not uncommon for an Apprentice to speak in such a way that worked to satisfy the Master; and if that was indeed what the Sith Apprentice was doing then his Master only suspected it partially. Darth Senthral didn't have to tell him anything; the Sith Lord could feel it himself.

"You've come a long way from the boy you once were," Tennacus started. "but you and I have much further to go. Our allegiance is to the Brotherhood of the Maw; but most importantly, our allegiance to the Sith. In many forms has that come, and I foresee it will come in many more. We must remain true to its success, as Masters and Apprentices devoted themselves to so long ago. Every action we take, however minimal it may seem, must always serve to the cause we follow, and how we intend to live to see that through. If not in a hundred years - if not in a thousand - then you and I must be around to see it. The Dark Side is clouded in unknowing, but we must remain ultimately loyal to ourselves, even if all others age and die around us."

The Wandering Pilgrim was a smooth-running ship. Be it through hyperspace or an asteroid field, it was often hard to tell the difference. They had remained on course for some time, hurling into the centre of the Galaxy, avoiding all manners of acknowledgement. But not everything out there could be evaded in an entirety. The ship, although designed specifically for covert operations, was being observed particularly. In the depths of the Deep Core, something had found them speeding through the dark. Something Tennacus was waiting for.

The Wandering Pilgrim was suddenly pulled out of hyperpsace, coming to a distressing instant decrease in its speed.

"My Lords," 77-B sounded over the speakers in the lounge. "Your presence is required in the cockpit immediately."

Tennacus lifted himself from the comfortable chair, gesturing for Darth Senthral to follow. He hastily moved through the corridors of the Wandering Pilgrim, passing by flashing strobes signalling warnings. The Dark Side was not just strong here: it was electrifying. So heavily concentrated, that the very air within the vessel felt dense, like moving through unsalted waters, dragging one's self eagerly towards the shore. The very hairs on their body stood up, just as much as goosebumps elevated on the surfaces of their skin. By the time Tennacus had reached the cockpit, his legs were already aching. 77-B was hovering there alongside JoJo. The two had whatever limbs were available reaching out to panels and buttons, diffusing one problem after the other. The Sith Lord glared through the window of the cockpit, staring out into the blackness of space. Nothing was out there.

"What chart are we in?" Tennacus asked.

"We cannot confirm, sir. Our star maps are not functional due to the pressure of immediate hyperspace dropout. Half of the Pilgrim is still in overdrive, not recognising that we've exited out of our jump. Most systems will take some time to reboot."

Tennacus reached out to the Force, searching for an answer. But there was nothing; it was just dark. "What's the status on our reboot to jump?"

The droid ran scanned over the screens in front of it. "Difficult to say, Master. If we want to ensure we do not end up splitting the ship between the Deep Core and the Outer Rim, I suggest you allow JoJo and myself an hour at least to repair what systems have been damaged."

"Very well, do what you will. When the systems are rebooted, make an immediate jump back to Seculus-B without confirming with me."

77-B paused confusingly. "Master, are we not on course to another destination?"

Tennacus stood upright. "We don't have to. The destination has found us."

"Warning, warning. Hull breach, Hull breach. Cargo Bay compromised; initiating temporal placement protocol."

Tennacus looked up as the feminine, mechanical voice sounded over their heads. 77-B switched audio to the cargo bay, listening to the sound of the awoken cubs howling and whining in distress. The Sith Lord took up his Zersium Rifle, ordering his Apprentice to arm himself appropriately. Once the two Sith were ready, the Sith Lord escorted them cautiously through the hissing corridors and illuminating warning lights within the vessel, checking every corner and doorway with the head of their weapons. The further in they moved, the more concentrated the Dark Side gathered itself. The Loth-Cubs were sounding themselves terribly, like some rabid beast was eating them alive. Thinking back on the death of their mother, Tennacus looked over his shoulder to confirm his Apprentice was actually tailing him.

The two reached the cargo bay door, sealed to prevent pressure loss as the bay stabilised with oxygen. "77-B, what's the lifeform readings on the Loths?"

"Two lifeform confirmations, Master. But five individual readings of movement altogether. Monitors are not responding. Do you confirm you want to proceed in the unsealing of the doors?"

The Sith looked back to his Apprentice and nodded. "Open the doors, 77-B."

Tennacus stepped back, and depressurisation of the doors commenced. With his weapon raised, Tennacus waited eagerly to see what was inside, waiting for the doors to part just enough for him to step through the cloud of misted air and investigate the cargo bay.

The moment they stepped in, the Sith immediately halted.

The Loth beasts were yelping in terror, retreated towards the back of the durasteel containment, huddled together with gums bared in a poor attempt of intimidation. They had reason to be scared, just as much as Tennacus had reason to come to an abrupt halt. They were not alone in there - not at all.

Three other entities were in there. Their darkness, both within the Force and in their physical presence, almost covered itself over Tennacus' eyes. Spherical masses floated away from one another, the closest-most being towards the Loths, stirring them with terrible anxiety. It was almost impossible to know if and when these beasts looked upon something, but one usually sensed it within the Force. Tennacus certainly did. Senthral surely would have. These three things, made of nothing but the Dark Side of the Force, stared to them in sentience.

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

"Master. These things are our destination? What's the journey plan here?" He wasn't scared enough to turn and run, but he'd be a fool to deny his fear. Though beyond it, curiosity began to surmount, and once again did the cycle of fear becoming power. The Dark Side came at his beckoning, and yet maybe it wasn't the solvent for this problem in particular. Blaster raised, he aimed at the things before them, that seemed to be... Pure Dark Side. Would shooting even have affect?

That was when they seemed to look upon the two Sith, did they carry understanding of life? Sentience as they called it, the same that Loth Wolves seemed to have within themselves. That's what made them cower in fear, and yet bared their lack of fangs in defense. Already they understood fear, and soon enough they could be taught to use it. To use it the right way. Not blinded by the Light Sides influences.

The beings before Darth Senthral and Darth Tennacus were not comparable to Loth Wolves though. Something told him they would not be training these things in the Dark Side. It was possible they already understood it more than the Sith, if they were in fact of a realized form. Could they speak? In any way, shape, or form? A glance at his Master assured him there was some sort of plan for this. Even if not? They would survive. They had to, to further the Sith as a whole. Not that only they were capable, but he did not doubt the importance of their works.

[/CENTER]

 

[Darth Tennacus]

​

Tennacus did not provide an immediate answer. His focus was in the Force, reaching out towards the Dark Side, trying to understand the intent of the invasive entities present within the cargo bay. There was little spoken of them, save for what legends told of creatures ultimately composed of Dark Side energy. They had no features to express; they had only the Force.

But there was one way of communicating with them.

One of the creatures appeared to harbour great focus towards the Loth Cubs, Black wisps stretched out from its primary mass, reaching towards them as they whined and snarled to the best of their abilities. These beings, although limited in their information, had certain records about them which told of an ability to inhabit a host. It seemed one of them was trying to do that.

"Lord Senthral," Tennacus started. "I believe you need to give up one your beasts to this thing. It was the Light that drew it here, just as much as the dark. I'm positive they know they cannot inhabit us due to our strengths, but the cubs are minimal in their mentality. Offer one up to it, and we may understand them better if we are to leave with these creatures under our authority."

 

[Darth Senthral]

​

Darth Senthral knew immediately that he had to as Darth Tennacus said. It was the wisest course of action, he only wished he could have pitted the cubs against each other first. Even then he knew not which one he would have given up. The stronger or the weaker. Either way, he didn't imagine now was the best time to sit around pondering on it.

Swift legs carried him quickly to their cages, and swifter grabbed the black as pitch cub. Not that it mattered, but he had considered whether one of dark fur would appease the Dark Side Beings better. He set the cub before the orb of darkness, and backed away slowly. Never turning. He would want to see this. All of it.

It seemed no chance that the Sith had the cubs for this. They were beings born of the Force, even if usually the Light Side. Maybe that would make for a better body? If his Master was right and they sought to inhibit a body. It made sense considering they had neared the cubs. All in all? This would serve well as a lesson for all in the room, maybe even the Dark Side spheres. Especially the remaining cub, for he would more than likely submit to the Dark Side as well. Though in a far different way than his brother.